BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 11, 2023
State Farm General Insurance Company is no longer taking applications for homeowners’ insurance in California, because of the growing risk from wildfires and other catastrophes and the high cost of rebuilding. This increased risk is directly related to climate change. There are two kinds of actions that nations and individuals can take to respond to the damage caused by the climate crisis. Adaptation includes actions that repair something damaged by climate events caused or exacerbated by climate change. Mitigation responds to the root cause of the destruction such as reducing the greenhouse gases that join the gaseous blanket that surrounds the earth. Fixing brokenness is easier than preventing. That seems backwards. Making the connection between stopping climate change and repairing the impacts would increase the amount that is spent by all nations on mitigating the existential challenge that is the climate crisis. ~ Rev. Richard Killmer, Yarmouth